Transcript for August 25th to 31st

PAUL
Welcome to Idaho Skies for the last week of August. We’re your hosts, Paul…

RACHEL
…and Rachel.

PAUL
Did you know that Idaho has a 25” telescope that’s opened to the public?

RACHEL
Twenty five inches is the diameter of the telescope’s mirror.

PAUL
The larger a telescope’s mirror, the more star light it gathers and focuses on your eye.

RACHEL
That means the fainter the objects that you can see through the telescope.

PAUL
The telescope and its observatory are located at the Bruneau Dunes state park.

RACHEL
It’s located there because some of the darkest skies in the Treasure Valley are located at the park.

PAUL
So if you are camping overnight at Bruneau Dunes, consider adding a side trip to the observatory.

RACHEL
Prior to opening the observatory, the park gives a space and astronomy presentation at the Steele Reese Education Center next door to the observatory.

PAUL
The observatory then remains open for several hours

RACHEL
The last quarter moon is next to the Hyades star cluster on the morning of the 28th.

PAUL
Look in the east after midnight to see this grouping.

RACHEL
They’ll be close enough together that the moon and Hyades will fit within your binoculars at the same time.

PAUL
The Pleiades star cluster, which is even more popular than the Hyades, is above the moon and farther away from the moon than the Hyades are.

RACHEL
The waning crescent moon and Jupiter form a nice binocular pair on the morning of the 31st.

PAUL
Recall that this duo passed close to each other on the morning of the 3rd.

RACHEL
This time however, Jupiter and the moon will be a degree closer together.

PAUL
And best of all, they are visible in darker skies.

RACHEL
If you use binoculars to look at Jupiter, you will notice at least two stars to the upper right of Jupiter.

PAUL
These aren’t stars, they’re satellites.

RACHEL
Use a small telescope instead of binoculars and you will see four stars to the upper right of Jupiter.

PAUL
From Jupiter outwards, the satellites are Callisto, Io, Ganymede, and Europa.

RACHEL
Callisto is the largest satellite in the solar system.

PAUL
That’s right. It’s 50% larger than our moon.

RACHEL
When you use your binoculars to observe Jupiter, you are making an observation similar to Galileo’s 1609 observation of Jupiter.

PAUL
Galileo was amazed to see the Jovian moons that we take for granted today.

RACHEL
He would be amazed to see them in the way our visiting spacecraft have.

PAUL
That’s Idaho Skies for the last week of August. Join us next month for the space and astronomical events in Idaho.

RACHEL
Be sure to read our blog for additional information. It’s at idahoskies.blogspot.com For Idaho Skies this is Rachel…

PAUL
and Paul.

RACHEL
Dark skies and bright stars.